GOG dropped a surprise on October 24, 2024 when they quietly launched the GOG Patrons program without a major public announcement. Instead of blasting press releases, the DRM-free storefront sent private emails to select customers inviting them to join an early access phase for what they’re calling a new way to support game preservation. The twist? This isn’t a game subscription service like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. It’s literally asking gamers to donate money each month for exclusive perks while GOG continues their mission to keep classic PC games playable forever.
What Exactly Is GOG Patrons
The GOG Patrons program functions exactly like Patreon but built directly into GOG’s platform. Users pay a small recurring monthly donation to support GOG’s game preservation efforts, and in return they receive access to exclusive benefits. According to GOG staff member king_kunat posting on the official forums, the idea is simple: Patrons help fund efforts to keep classic games alive by restoring, maintaining, and improving them.
The benefits package includes:
- Access to an exclusive Discord community for patrons only
- Voting rights on GOG Preservation Program priorities
- Public credit for support displayed on game store pages
- Behind-the-scenes content showing how GOG restores classic games
- Small recognition perks across the GOG platform
What you don’t get is free games, early access to releases, or discounts on purchases. GOG has repeatedly emphasized that this is not a game subscription service and everything you’ve ever bought on GOG remains fully yours forever. The program exists purely to generate additional revenue for their preservation work, not to create a paywall between users and content.
This approach differs radically from competitor programs. Steam doesn’t have anything comparable. Epic Games gives away free games weekly but doesn’t ask for donations. Humble Bundle offers subscription tiers with monthly game selections. GOG is betting that their customer base cares enough about preservation to donate without receiving tangible games in return.
Why GOG Needs This Money
The timing of the Patrons program launch tells you everything about GOG’s financial situation. According to Reddit users who completed GOG’s 2025 survey, questions suggested the company’s finances aren’t in great shape. The survey asked detailed questions about willingness to pay for membership programs, suggesting GOG is exploring multiple monetization strategies beyond traditional game sales.
GOG officially launched their Preservation Program on November 13, 2024 with 100 compatibility-certified classic games. The program ensures these titles remain playable on modern systems through active maintenance, compatibility updates, and technical support. But preservation work costs real money. GOG must track down rights holders for decades-old games, negotiate licensing agreements, pay developers to create compatibility patches, maintain testing infrastructure, and provide ongoing support.
Some examples of the work involved:
- Restoring and re-releasing Alpha Protocol after it was delisted from other storefronts
- Maintaining compatibility for over 100 classic titles as operating systems update
- Negotiating with publishers who may not even remember they own certain game rights
- Testing games across multiple Windows versions, graphics cards, and hardware configurations
- Creating wrapper solutions for games built on obsolete middleware
- Documenting preservation techniques for future restoration projects
Unlike Steam which can rely on Valve’s massive revenue from Counter-Strike cases and Dota 2 cosmetics, GOG operates purely on game sales with razor-thin margins. The company was founded in 2008 specifically to preserve and sell classic PC games that other platforms ignored. That mission-driven approach builds passionate communities but doesn’t necessarily generate blockbuster profits.
GOG already tried less intrusive donation methods. Back in June 2024, they added a donation form to the checkout page allowing customers to contribute extra money with their purchases. Apparently that wasn’t generating sufficient funding, leading to the Patrons program as a more structured approach with tangible benefits for recurring supporters.
The Community Is Split
Reddit users and forum members have expressed wildly different reactions to the Patrons program. Some enthusiastically support anything that keeps classic games playable. User VSOmnibus posted that they believe supporting game preservation offers greater value than streaming services that continuously increase subscription fees. Others who completed the survey indicated they were open to donations but might not actually contribute.
Critics question whether GOG’s business model is sustainable if they need to constantly ask for donations on top of game sales revenue. Some users pointed out that preservation costs should be factored into the price of games sold through the Preservation Program rather than relying on optional donations from a small percentage of customers.
The early access rollout strategy also sparked debate. By quietly emailing select customers instead of announcing publicly, GOG avoided potential backlash but also limited their reach. Only the most engaged GOG users even know the Patrons program exists, which defeats the purpose if the goal is generating meaningful funding.
Discord exclusivity represents another point of contention. Discord has become the de facto communication platform for gaming communities, but requiring patrons to use a third-party service excludes users who avoid Discord for privacy reasons or simply prefer other communication methods. Some users would prefer patron benefits be delivered through GOG’s own website and forums.
How This Compares to Actual Patreon
Anyone familiar with Patreon will recognize the structure immediately. Creators on Patreon offer tiered subscription levels with increasing benefits at higher payment thresholds. GOG has essentially built this same system into their storefront, except they’re asking for support as a digital retailer rather than as individual content creators.
The comparison raises interesting questions about what GOG actually is. Are they a retailer selling products, or are they content creators producing preservation work? Traditional retailers don’t typically ask customers to donate beyond purchase prices. But preservation organizations like museums and libraries absolutely do solicit donations to fund their missions.
GOG seems to be positioning themselves as a hybrid – a commercial business that also serves a cultural preservation function. That positioning allows them to request donations without seeming purely profit-motivated. Whether gamers accept this framing depends on how much they value preservation compared to simply wanting cheap games.
Patreon’s success demonstrates people will pay for work they value even when free alternatives exist. Thousands of content creators earn livable incomes from supporters who could easily consume their content without paying. The key difference is Patreon creators often provide exclusive content only available to patrons, whereas GOG explicitly states they won’t paywall games or features.
What Preservation Actually Means
GOG’s Preservation Program goes beyond simply hosting old game files. When they certify a game for preservation, they commit to maintaining its playability indefinitely as operating systems and hardware evolve. This includes creating compatibility layers, updating installers, testing on new Windows versions, and providing technical support when issues arise.
The video game industry has a terrible preservation track record. Thousands of games have become completely unplayable as the systems they were designed for become obsolete. Digital storefronts regularly delist titles when licensing agreements expire. Live service games shut down permanently when publishers decide they’re no longer profitable. Physical media degrades over time, and modern systems lack the hardware to run legacy formats.
GOG positions their DRM-free approach as essential to preservation. When you buy a game on GOG, you receive standalone installer files that work without authentication servers or online checks. Even if GOG went out of business tomorrow, those installers would continue functioning. Compare that to Steam games requiring the Steam client, or Epic Games titles tied to their launcher with online verification.
The 100 games currently certified in the Preservation Program represent titles GOG has extensively tested and committed to maintaining. As technology changes, they’ll update these games to ensure compatibility. That ongoing maintenance constitutes the preservation work they’re asking patrons to fund.
Will This Actually Work
The success of GOG Patrons depends entirely on whether enough customers value preservation to donate regularly. Early responses have reportedly been positive according to GOG staff, but positive doesn’t mean financially sustainable. If only a few hundred or thousand users participate, the funding won’t significantly impact GOG’s ability to expand preservation efforts.
GOG faces competition for discretionary gaming budgets. A gamer with $10 to spend monthly might choose Xbox Game Pass and receive access to hundreds of games, or PlayStation Plus for monthly free games and online multiplayer, or various Patreon creators producing gaming content. Asking them to donate to GOG for preservation benefits requires believing in the mission strongly enough to forego those alternatives.
The program’s early access status suggests GOG is testing whether this model resonates before investing heavily in marketing and infrastructure. They’re gathering feedback, refining benefits, and ensuring the community reacts positively before going fully public. Smart companies test concepts with core audiences before broad rollouts, especially when those concepts could generate backlash.
If the Patrons program succeeds, expect other digital storefronts to copy the model. If it fails, GOG may need to explore other monetization strategies like actual subscription services with included games, premium features behind paywalls, or even rethinking their business model entirely.
FAQs
What is the GOG Patrons program?
GOG Patrons is a Patreon-style donation program launched on October 24, 2024 that allows users to make recurring monthly payments supporting GOG’s game preservation efforts. Patrons receive access to an exclusive Discord community, voting on preservation priorities, public credit on store pages, and behind-the-scenes content.
Does GOG Patrons include free games?
No, GOG Patrons does not provide free games, discounts, or early access to releases. GOG has explicitly stated this is not a game subscription service like Xbox Game Pass. The program exists purely to fund preservation work, and all games remain available for purchase as normal.
Why does GOG need donations for game preservation?
Game preservation requires tracking down rights holders, negotiating licensing agreements, paying developers for compatibility patches, maintaining testing infrastructure, and providing ongoing support as operating systems evolve. These efforts cost significant money that game sales alone may not fully cover.
When was GOG Patrons launched?
GOG quietly launched the Patrons program in early access on October 24, 2024 by sending emails to select customers. The program has not received a major public announcement as GOG is gathering feedback and refining benefits before opening it more broadly.
What is the GOG Preservation Program?
Launched on November 13, 2024, the GOG Preservation Program is GOG’s initiative to ensure classic PC games remain playable on modern systems. It started with 100 compatibility-certified titles that GOG commits to maintaining and updating as technology changes.
How is GOG Patrons different from Patreon?
GOG Patrons functions exactly like Patreon but is built directly into GOG’s platform instead of requiring a separate service. The main difference is GOG is a commercial retailer asking for support rather than an individual content creator, positioning themselves as both a business and cultural preservation organization.
Is GOG financially struggling?
While GOG hasn’t publicly announced financial difficulties, Reddit users who completed GOG’s 2025 survey noted questions suggesting finances aren’t great. The timing of the Patrons program and previous donation requests indicate GOG is exploring additional revenue streams beyond traditional game sales.
Conclusion
GOG’s Patrons program represents a bold experiment in asking gamers to directly fund cultural preservation rather than simply buying products. The early access rollout suggests uncertainty about how the community will respond to what is essentially a donation request from a commercial business. By positioning themselves as preservation advocates rather than pure retailers, GOG hopes to tap into the same passion that funds museum memberships and public library donations. Whether gamers accept this framing remains to be seen. The program’s success or failure will determine not just GOG’s financial future, but potentially establish a precedent for how digital storefronts can sustain preservation work in an industry that typically abandons old games the moment they stop generating profits. For now, a small group of early access patrons are testing whether preservation is valuable enough to pay for beyond the cost of the games themselves.